U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll traveled to Kiev on Thursday for a high-level meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, where he delivered the Trump administration’s 28-point peace proposal aimed at ending the war with Russia. The plan, parts of which were leaked online earlier this week, reportedly outlines sweeping concessions expected from Kiev, including withdrawal from remaining contested territories, the formal adoption of a neutral geopolitical status, significant reductions in the size and capability of Ukraine’s armed forces, and granting the Russian language official status alongside Ukrainian. Inside Kiev’s political and military circles, the document is being described by some as a capitulation rather than a negotiated settlement.
Despite the internal backlash, the tone of the meeting between Driscoll and Zelensky was reported to be surprisingly calm and cooperative. According to officials familiar with the discussion, Zelensky appeared markedly more reserved and accommodating than in previous encounters, most notably the heated February 28 Oval Office confrontation with President Donald Trump and another contentious exchange reported last month. The shift in Zelensky’s posture has raised speculation over whether mounting political pressure and the rapid deterioration of his domestic standing may be influencing his approach to negotiations.
The geopolitical drama intensified on Wednesday after it emerged that U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff had abruptly canceled a planned meeting with Zelensky in Ankara. Witkoff reportedly turned his aircraft around mid-flight after learning that Zelensky had arrived in Turkey not to receive the U.S. proposal but to present an alternative plan of his own. According to sources, Witkoff believed Zelensky’s counter-proposal contained terms that would be wholly unacceptable to Moscow, prompting him to halt the meeting altogether.
One of the factors contributing to Zelensky’s apparent shift may be the diminishing number of allies he retains inside the Trump administration. On Wednesday, Keith Kellogg, Trump’s Special Envoy for Ukraine and one of Washington’s most prominent Russia hawks, announced he would step down from his role in January. Several reports indicate Kellogg has been increasingly sidelined, losing influence in recent months. Earlier this year, Kellogg was widely viewed as one of the key figures urging Trump to take a harder line against Russia, and over the summer he was reportedly instrumental in persuading Trump to walk away from an understanding reached with President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
While Moscow has officially denied having any role in drafting the U.S. peace proposal, multiple reports suggest that Kremlin envoy Kiril Dmitriev had some degree of input. Russian officials, however, have so far refrained from public comment on the document. Unconfirmed reports circulating in diplomatic circles claim that Secretary Driscoll plans to travel to Moscow on Friday to formally present the proposal to Russian officials, potentially marking the most significant direct engagement in months between the two governments on the question of ending the war.